As the second prince's messenger, Viscount Sinderson set off from Gildusk City on the 15th of March. Due to the melting snow and mud, he only reached Monolith Castle on the 23rd of March. At this time, Laurist had already led forty thousand of his family's armed forces to start digging and building roads and filling up the Black Clay Swamp.
Fatty Shi, who was still handling administrative matters at Monolith Castle, received Viscount Sinderson. Hearing that he had come as the second prince's messenger, he invited him to rest for a few days so that he could send someone to inform Laurist of his return.
On the morning of the 25th of March, Laurist stood in front of the carcass of a ten-meter-long Ironback Bay Crocodile, carefully studying the weakness of this enormous creature. This Ironback Bay Crocodile had more than thirty iron crossbow bolts stuck in its body. As the largest magical beast the road construction troops had encountered in the past few days, this Ironback Bay Crocodile was still full of energy even after being hit by more than thirty bolts. It bared its fangs and brandished its claws as it charged at the War Chariot Battalion.
If it wasn't for its good luck that a bolt had pierced through its tail and nailed it to the ground less than thirty meters away from the War Chariot Battalion, this reptile might have charged into the War Chariot Battalion's defensive line and started a massacre. Only when this Ironback Bay Crocodile was dead did everyone relax.
"Sir, look. This Ironback Bay Crocodile died because of this bolt that pierced through its lower jaw all the way to its brain. Because its tail was nailed and the magical beast was moving forward, its entire head was raised and its lower jaw was exposed. That was why it was killed in one shot. As for the thirty bolts on its body, although they heavily injured the magical beast, they weren't fatal. Instead, they stimulated its ferocity. We were lucky this time … "Malek, the new War Chariot Battalion Commander, concluded.
"A few days ago, we killed dozens of Ironback Bay Crocodiles. The largest one was only five meters long, and it died in three to five bolts. We were too careless. We thought that the magical beasts of the notoriously dangerous Black Clay Swamp were only so-so and that there was nothing to worry about. I didn't think that there would be such a huge Ironback Bay Crocodile. It seems that our steel ballistae aren't enough to deal with such a huge Ironback Bay Crocodile. These ballista bolts are like toothpicks against the crocodile's body … "Aire vividly described the situation of the thirty ballista bolts stuck in the magic beast's body.
"The Black Bog is so big, there might even be something bigger than this Iron Spine Bay Crocodile. Sir, this one is already more than two meters tall. I remember from the family records that someone once saw an Ironback Gulf Crocodile that was four to five meters tall. I don't even know how tall it is. It's said that it's like a small hill … "Padt reminded him worriedly.
Buckingham nodded. "The development of Black Clay Swamp is imperative. No matter how difficult it is, we must overcome it. However, we must also face your concerns. To tell the truth, I didn't think that the ballistae that could deal with the Demon Mammoths would have such difficulty dealing with the Ironback Gulf Crocodiles. Redi, go and see Master Falin. Ask him if he can make a batch of larger steel ballistae to deal with these Ironback Bay Crocodiles. It doesn't need to be as strict as the steel ballistae of the War Chariot Battalion. It doesn't matter if they take a long time to reload. I want their lethality and piercing power to be doubled … "
"Yes, sir. I'll go now," Redi said and left.
"Alright, Malek, send someone to deal with this Ironback Gulf Crocodile. Don't be fooled by its ferocious appearance. Its meat is still very tender and delicious after the skin is peeled off. Tell everyone to eat this Ironback Gulf Crocodile's meat for lunch. Remember to keep the skin well. This crocodile skin will be the best choice for making leather armor for our soldiers in the future … "Buckingham ordered." Also, tell everyone to be more careful. It's fine to slow down the construction, but pay attention to safety. If it's dark and the visibility isn't good, it's best to stop work early to avoid being ambushed by these Ironback Gulf Crocodiles. "
"Yes, sir. I'll tell everyone to pay attention to safety," Malek replied.
Jim brought someone over. He was now a captain of the guard camp. "Sir, Knight Shredder has sent a message saying that the second prince has sent Viscount Sinderson, who was here last time, as a messenger to the Rock Castle. He hopes that you can return as soon as possible."
Hmm? Buckingham was stunned. What was the second prince up to this time? I've already rejected him so many times. Why hasn't he given up yet? He's sending a messenger again. Isn't he afraid of being rejected again? I'm busy here and don't have time to play some noble game with him. He's really persistent.
After some thought, Buckingham said, "Let Viscount Sinderson stay for a few more days. I'll return in two days."
…
"I'm very sorry, Viscount Sinderson. I've kept you waiting. I'm really busy and couldn't leave. I'm sorry."
Buckingham only returned to Monolith Castle on the 28th of March. He ignored the dust on his body and immediately met with Viscount Sinderson.
"It's understandable. After all, your family has to fight against the Magical Beast Wave during winter. To be honest, Baron Norton, I've seen the corpses of the Magical Beasts in Gildusk City. I'd like to express my deep respect for your family's heroic actions. The Norton Family is indeed known as the Furious Bear of the North. Only your family has the courage to fight against such ferocious Magical Beasts, "Viscount Sinderson complimented.
"Thank you for your praise. May I ask what brings you here, Lord Viscount?" Buckingham could not be bothered with pleasantries and went straight to the point.
"Oh, I'm here on behalf of His Majesty the King. I'm here to deliver a letter for you, Lord Baron, as well as your reply. Here's the letter. I believe it's His Majesty the King's condolences for your heroic actions in fighting against the Magical Beast Wave. "Viscount Sinderson handed over the second prince's letter.
Buckingham smiled as he took the letter. "It's too condescending to trouble Lord Viscount to personally make a trip for such a small matter. Actually, it's enough to send an attendant to deliver the letter. His Majesty the King's request for you to deliver the letter is too grand. "
Viscount Sinderson said self-deprecatingly, "Lord Baron, you think too highly of me. I'm just an honorary noble, and I can't compare to you aristocrats. I don't have much to do, and all I can do is run errands for His Majesty the King. "
"Lord Viscount, you're too humble." Buckingham smiled and opened the letter.
F * ck! This second prince has gone mad. There must be something wrong with his brain.
Buckingham wanted to curse, but Viscount Sinderson was right in front of him, so he could only keep his composure.
The second prince didn't write as many pleasantries in this letter as he did in the previous one. Instead, he made three straightforward requests:
First, Buckingham had to rush to Gildusk City to meet the second prince before May. He had to present sufficient gifts of submission and respect.
Second, the Norton Family had to offer the second prince five hundred thousand gold fords as atonement for their previous disrespectful behavior.
Third, from this year onwards, the Norton Family had to provide the second prince with ten million pounds of snow salt every year for free.
At the end of the letter, the second prince expressed that he had reached the end of his patience with the Norton Family's repeated rejections of his good intentions and actions against his will. If the Norton Family rejected these three requests again, the second prince would gather the nobles of the Northern Lands to form an allied army to attack Monolith Castle. The Norton Family's destruction was imminent, and the new head of the Norton Family, Baron Norton, had to make a decision.
In his dreams. This second prince must have been provoked by something. He dared to issue such an ultimatum to the Norton Family. This was practically a declaration of war. Buckingham couldn't possibly agree to these three unreasonable requests. What right did he have? Based on the Iberian Kingdom's first army that had only been formed a year ago? Haha …
Buckingham sneered and raised his head. "Lord Viscount, are you sure you want to reply?"
Viscount Sinderson nodded. "Yes, this is what His Majesty has repeatedly ordered. I have to bring back the baron's reply …"
"Alright, please wait a moment." Buckingham turned to the desk and quickly wrote a reply.
"Tagger …" Buckingham rang the bell, and Tagger, who was outside, entered the study.
"Lord Viscount, you must have had a hard journey. Go and get a few magical beast pelts as a token of our gratitude, "Buckingham ordered.
"Yes, Lord Viscount." Tagger retreated.
Buckingham handed the reply letter in his hand to Viscount Sinderson. "Please forgive us, Lord Viscount. The Norton Family is located at the borders of the Northern Lands, and we really don't have much to offer. A few pieces of magical beast pelts is our apology. We are truly sorry to have troubled you to travel back and forth. "
Viscount Sinderson happily put away the reply letter. "Thank you, Lord Baron, for your gift. Actually, I really like magical beast pelts."
…
With a bang, the second prince slammed his chair on the desk in front of Viscount Sinderson. It was truly infuriating. There was a piece of animal skin spread out on the desk. This was Buckingham's reply letter. There was only one word written on it, a big word: Pui!
The second prince was so angry that his face turned red. This reply was a blatant slap to his face. In addition, the second prince recalled the words "get lost" in his previous reply letter. A feeling of contempt and mockery welled up in his heart, and he could no longer control his anger. He lifted his chair and slammed it on the desk in front of Viscount Sinderson …
The loud crash and the splintering of the chair in his hand finally brought the second prince to his senses. He glanced at the undamaged reply letter with the word "pui" written on it, and the second prince once again felt the anger in his heart burning fiercely. However, he managed to restrain himself this time. He glared at Viscount Sinderson, who was standing in front of him, and waved his hand. "Get lost, and remember not to speak out of turn …"
Viscount Sinderson hurriedly bowed as if he had been pardoned. "Yes, Your Majesty."
Then, he covered his head and fled.
Only the furious second prince and the middle-aged man who had pretended to be Viscount Sinderson's servant were left in the study room.
"Why? How dare the Norton Family be so rude? Do they not respect me, the king, at all? Did they really think that the walls of the Monolith Castle could protect their family's territory? In their dreams, I will not let them off. They will pay the price in blood. Only blood can wash away the humiliation they have given me … "The second prince roared as he paced in the study room.
The second prince finally stopped in front of the silent middle-aged man. "Tell me, what did you see during your trip to Monolith Castle?"
The middle-aged man bowed deeply. "Yes, Your Majesty."
"As you expected, the defenses of Monolith Castle are very lax. I estimated that there are only three companies of about 1,500 men. The three companies are responsible for the defense of the front and back walls, as well as the central castle. Unfortunately, I stayed in the inn of Monolith Castle for a few days, and I did not see any regular soldiers of the Norton Family in the inn or anywhere else. Other than the city walls and military camps, they do not go anywhere else. "
The middle-aged man did not know about the Norton Family's military reform. He could only view the Norton Family's armed forces from the perspective of the second prince's first army in the kingdom. He also did not know that after the 16th of March, Laurist had pulled almost all of the family's armed forces to develop the Black Clay Swamp. Even half of the three thousand men of the Overwatch Guards who were defending Monolith Castle had been pulled away, so that they could be rotated in three months.
"I heard from the owner of the nearby inn that after the Magical Beast Wave every winter, there will still be a large number of magical beasts lingering in the wastelands. This will seriously affect the citizens' reclamation and spring sowing. Therefore, the Norton Family's armed forces should still be driving and exterminating these magical beasts in the wastelands. This is also a source of meat for them. The old man in the inn said that in previous years, they would only be able to catch their breaths in May. It should be the same this year. "
Laurist's plan to develop the Black Clay Swamp and obtain an outlet to the sea had not been announced to the outside world. Instead, he had directly brought the family's armed forces to work in the Black Clay Swamp. As a result, the citizens in the territory thought that it was the same as in previous years.
"Your Majesty, I also discovered that the Norton Family's second line of defense forces, the ones in charge of security, have very few people. The guards in the warehouse department only have a few dozen people, not even enough to form a small team. There is also a city built behind Monolith Castle, and I discovered that there are less than three hundred people in the guard team. Furthermore, I used the excuse of visiting the Tomb of Heroes to go up the mountain near the city wall behind Monolith Castle, but I discovered that there was not a single ballista on the city wall. It seems that in the battle against the Wave of Magical Beasts, the ballistae have been greatly depleted … "
The middle-aged man was an excellent spy, but he did not understand that Laurist had already changed his army to a ten-man team. For the guards in charge of the warehouses, such a small team was indeed much more convenient. One or two teams were enough to guard the warehouse gates, and there was no need to pull out a team of nearly a hundred people to idle around the warehouse gates like before. As for the five hundred guards in the rear of Monolith Castle, half of them had been pulled to Black Clay Swamp. The middle-aged man did not understand the situation.
From the middle-aged man's point of view, this was a sign of the Norton Family's lack of military strength, especially the fact that there was not a single ballista on the city wall behind Monolith Castle. This was a sign that the Norton Family had suffered heavy losses in the face of the Wave of Magical Beasts. As such, he was inclined to believe that the Norton Family's rejection of the second prince was due to the arrogance of a noble family with hundreds of years of military history, and not because they were strong enough to be fearless.
"Hahaha …" Hearing the middle-aged man's analysis, the second prince began to laugh maniacally.
"In May, when the winter wheat is harvested, I will send out troops to attack the Norton Family," the second prince coldly decided.
"In May, those northern lords will come to participate in the Northern Noble Fellowship. At that time, I will announce the Norton Family's disrespect and rebellion. I will use the excuse that Baron Norton accepted the title of Earl of the Andinac Royal Family without permission to send out troops to attack the Norton Family."
"Your Majesty, you must pay attention to Baron Shahin and Earl Kenneth. The two of them have always had business dealings with the Norton Family, and both of their families have powerful military forces. You must be wary of them," the middle-aged man reminded.
The second prince nodded. "I know. When the two of them come to participate in the fellowship, we will keep them by our side and force them to send troops to attack us. Baron Shahin will have to give me 10,000 soldiers. Doesn't the Kenneth Family have 30,000 soldiers? For the sake of Earl Kenneth's life, 20,000 is the minimum.
Also, Baron Phillip of the Pegasus Family has a strong military force, so he will have to give me 5,000 soldiers. Other than the Norton Family, these three families are the strongest in the North. This time, no one can just watch from the sidelines. Everyone must send troops to help. However, Baron Phillip has always been respectful. If he performs well this time, I may promote him … "
"Your Majesty is wise," the middle-aged man said respectfully. "How many soldiers are you going to send to attack the Norton Family, Your Majesty?"
The second prince thought for a moment and said, "This is actually a great opportunity to show off the strength of the kingdom's army. We can also let those northern bumpkins see the power of the kingdom's first army. The first army will send out 50,000 soldiers. 1,000 will stay to guard the camp, and the other two will be in charge of logistics."
"Your Majesty, isn't this a little too much to deal with the Norton Family?" the middle-aged man asked.
"You don't understand. The Norton Family is nothing to me. We don't need to attack the Monolith Castle. We just need to besiege it for half a year and we will win without a fight. Without the import of food from the outside world, I want to see how the Norton Family is going to feed their 200,000 citizens. I won't be so stupid as to send the first army to attack the sturdy Monolith Castle and cause unnecessary damage.
The main purpose of sending the first army is to suppress the armed forces of Baron Shahin and Earl Kenneth and force them to attack the castle on our behalf. With the power of the first army, I want to see which northern nobles still have the heart to disobey us. I hope that after we win the war against the Norton Family, the North will be able to settle down and become a base camp that can provide us with an endless supply of soldiers and food, "the second prince said.
"Your Majesty is wise!"
…
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